Sunday, September 19, 2010

World Equestrian Games has plenty of fans, just not necessarily in Louisville

When Louisvillians think about horses, the Twin Spires, mint juleps and exactas spring immediately to mind.

Dressage and reining? Not so much.

That might explain the mixed response locally to the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Lexington. Kentucky will host the world championships for eight equestrian sports over 16 days beginning September 25.
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The World Equestrian Games, the Olympics of horse sports, has never before been held outside Europe. When they open at the Kentucky Horse Park next Saturday, the Games promise to burnish the state's reputation as the horse capital of the world.

The Games are expected to draw 300,000 visitors, with an economic impact estimated at $167 million, according to a University of Louisville economist.

But while the star athletes of sports like driving and dressage are celebrities in Europe, they're not as well recognized in Kentucky, where the focus of most horse enthusiasts is on racing. The Games do not include racing around a track — or betting.

They do include dressage - a form of competitive horse training, which has nothing to do with Todd Pletcher vs. Bob Baffert...